Friend?
by Serrated Darkness
Summary: What if Genis had joined Mithos? Events could turn out differently...
1. Friend

…Genis saw his opening, and quickly launched a single massive fireball at Yggdrasil's blind side. It reached it's target and exploded into Yggdrasil's side. Staggering from the hit, Yggdrasil dropped to a knee, grunting. Teleporting into the area in a burst of darkness, Pronyma appeared.

"Lord Yggdrasil!" She gasped. Spying Genis, she shouted "You little brat! Die for your impudence!" An obsidian orb of dark mana appeared in her right hand and she fired it towards a deer-in-headlights Genis.

_Oh no_ Genis moaned.

Before death reached him though, Yggdrasil rushed towards Genis and took Pronyma's attack for him! Something was rocked away from Yggdrasil's body and to the side, but Genis did not take a closer look. Instead he gazed in shock at the panting Yggdrasil.

"Lord Yggdrasil?" Pronyma gasped. Staggering up from the ground, Yggdrasil gave one last glance at Lloyd, Genis and the others and simply teleported away from the scene with Pronyma.

Lloyd immediately rushed to Genis's side.

"Genis! Are you ok?" Lloyd looked at him with concerned eyes. Genis, who had previously been frozen in fear, collapsed to the ground but looked at his human friend with grateful eyes.

"Y-yea Lloyd…I'm fine."

Raine, who had also rushed over, took her little brother in her arms and sighed with relief. She was puzzled by Yggdrasil's actions however.

"Why would Yggdrasil save Genis though?" Lloyd said, expressing the same puzzlement Raine felt.

"Darn good question, but the important thing is getting out of here before Mr. White Pajamas decides to come back!" Zelos cried.

"You're right…we're out of here!" Lloyd stood up from Genis's side and the group started to make their way out of the Tower of Salvation.

Genis, however, suddenly remembered the object that had been tossed from Yggdrasil's body and quickly made his way over to it. Picking it up, his eyes widened in shock. It was Mithos's flute. Did this mean…no, that was impossible!

--

After their escape from the Tower of Salvation, the group decided to crash at Altessa's for the night.

Altessa and Tabatha greeted them warmly, as did Mithos. While the rest of the group said their greetings to them, Genis made his way to Mithos.

"I have to ask…", he thought.

Spying Genis making his way to him, Mithos grinned.

"What's up, Genis? What have you been doing?"

Genis almost stumbled over his words, but managed to get them out.

"M-Mithos…we're friends, right?"

Mithos blinked.

"What are you talking about? Of course we're friends!"

"And friends…never hurt each other, right?"

"Of course not."

Genis stared at him a little bit, causing Mithos to fidget.

"I'm going to bed…bye Mithos." Genis finally said, before making his way towards his bed.

Mithos watched him go, with a strange expression on his face.

_"Don't betray me, Genis."_

--

Later at night, Genis woke up in a cold sweat.

_It must have been that dream involving the Mayor of Iselia again he thought with a moan._

What was wrong with him? He hadn't had that nightmare since they rescued Lloyd at Triet. Thinking about the Mayor, he felt a flash of anger.

_That stupid human! Even when he's in another world, he still bothers me!_

_I bet he wouldn't say those things about half-elves if he faced Yggdrasil!_ he thought.

Then he blinked in surprise. Where had that thought come from? Like Lloyd says, Yggdrasil's a madman! After all, Yggdrasil's trying to create an age of lifeless beings!

_But his motive is to end discrimination though…end it in people like the Mayor._

Genis's sharp mind began to dig deeper though. The underlying concept behind the Age of Lifeless beings was to create a world without discrimination. Perhaps Yggdrasil had gone through the same taunts and shame from humans as he had, and simply had had enough.

Genis started to go back into the past, thinking of the taunts he had suffered from the other boys at Iselia…the looks of loathing that had been shot his way from the adults.

Even on this journey of theirs he hadn't been safe. He remembered the shame of being named as a half-elf by the female half-elf they'd met in Asgard.

Most of all, he remembered being arrested for being a half-elf in Tethe'alla. Rage burned in him as he remembered the caste system in Tethe'alla that forbid half-elves from going anywhere with a special chip.

Bitterness spread through him as he realized that humans would never accept half-elves as equals. Oh, there were some, like Lloyd and the rest of the group, but nobody that mattered in the government. There would always be laws preventing half-elves from being accepted…

Genis started tearing up, but angrily wiped the tears away.

_Humans have caused me to cry too many times!_

Genis gave an angry sigh.

_I want a world without discrimination...that's what I truly, truly want..._

Genis blinked.

_Isn't that what Yggdrasil wants?_

He was about to try to fall asleep again, but a yell outside caused him to pause. Had that been Lloyd?

His bedroom door slammed upon, to reveal a tense Raine.

"Something is happening outside."

"Raine, I heard Lloyd's voice! He's in trouble!"

"Then we have to help him. Help me wake the others!"

Racing through the house and ignoring their friend's sleepy queries, Genis and Raine quickly gathered their comrades. Strangely, Colette was not in her bed and they could not find her. Deciding she might also be outside, the group ran outside to see what was going on. Altessa and Tabatha, also awakened, followed at their heels.

Greeting their eyes was a small warzone. Bodies of Renegades soldiers lay strewn in front of the house. Kratos was lying unconscious in a heap being cradled by Lloyd and Colette, and Yuan was on the ground, being kicked by…

Mithos!

"…and if it weren't for my sister's last wishes, you would most certainly be dead, Yuan. I'll have to settle for locking you up for eternity!"

Mithos let out a cruel laugh.

"Mithos, what's going on!" Genis cried.

Noticing the group for the first time, Mithos frowned.

"I'm teaching a traitor a lesson." Mithos glanced down at Yuan again and gave him another swift kick.

"So it's true…you're Yggdrasil…" Genis said sadly.

Mithos gazed at Genis.

"You always were smart Genis. You figured it out, I'm Yggdrasil."

Mithos closed his eyes and opened his arms to the sky. A pink light engulfed him, and feathers floated up around him. When they faded, Yggdrasil stood in his place.

Meanwhile, Lloyd put down Kratos and growled in rage. His exsphere glowed with power, brighter than it ever had before.

"You…BASTARD!"

Quick as a blink, Lloyd unsheathed his blades and slammed the ground. Power surged from his exsphere and was channeled through his body and out the blades, and a Fierce Demon Fang more powerful than anything he had ever released rushed towards a surprised Yggdrasil.

Mithos grunted with the impact and staggered.

_"Where did he get this power? Is his exsphere that powerful…?"_

Lloyd looked over at his friends fiercely.

"What are you waiting for! We're ending this tonight!"

Sheena, Raine, Zelos, Regal, and Presea snapped out of their shocked state and rushed with Lloyd to the glaring Yggdrasil.

In a flash of darkness, Pronyma and a battalion of angel warriors teleported in front of Yggdrasil in a protective formation.

"You're right boy, this is the end! For **YOU!**" Pronyma shouted.

"Shut up!"

The group of Lifeless Angels and the group of Salvation clashed with a thunderous roar.

--

Genis watched with conflicted eyes. He wanted to fight and help his friends, but he also wanted to confront Mithos.

"Where are you…" he muttered.

Light flashed at his side.

"Right here." Mithos teleported in, in his child form.

"Ahhh!" Genis screamed, stumbling backwards.

Mithos caught his hand before he could fall completely backwards, however, and pulled him back upright.

"Heh…watch it Genis."

Genis glared at him.

"What do you want? You _tricked_ me Mithos, you said we were friends! I was happy when I thought I had gained my first friend my age, but you took advantage of me and gained my trust so you could spy on us!"

Mithos smiled.

"Yes, I did."

Genis growled.

"Then I have to—"

"Our friendship wasn't a trick, though."

Genis blinked.

"What?"

"I won't lie to you Genis. Well, not this time at least. You showed me, a fellow half-elf, kindness from the very moment we met. I almost forgot my sorrows for Martel in our time together. I came to think of you as a true friend. Remember when Raine got sick with a fever? You and I went to find the cure for her together, and we solidified our friendship on that mountain."

A little of Genis's anger started to melt away.

"You really think of me as a friend, Mithos?

"Really."

Genis shook his head.

"B-b-but look at this!" he spluttered, then gesturing with a hand at his friends fighting the angels. "You're hurting my friends! You think we can still be friends after what you've done?

Mithos frowned.

"What am I supposed to do, Genis? They're trying to kill me, and end my plans to end discrimination throughout the world with the Age of Lifeless Beings. Look what Lloyd did to me."

He gestured at his right side, where Lloyd's attack had hurt him. It was burned looking, with the flesh exposed and cracked.

"I'm not going to just stand and let them ruin my vision. To end suffering and discrimination in the world, the Age of Lifeless beings must be initiated!"

Genis didn't know what to say.

"Listen, Genis. I'll tell you why I'm here, talking with you right now, and not fighting your friends. Remember what you told me at the mountain when we were getting Raine's cure? If Lloyd and I got in a fight, you would join my side. I know from our talks together that you hate humans and their foolish discrimination as much as I do. So, why not join me now, and we'll end it…together."

Ice went down Genis's spine.

"But that would be betraying Lloyd…"

"He and the rest of the group have betrayed you from the beginning, Genis, with their goal to stop me. They're trying to stop me from ending discrimination, and fulfilling Martel's last wish! If they succeed, you will never be happy in this world of hate and discrimination. Do you think that humans will ever really leave you alone? Their idiotic hate is too deep-rooted within them to ever be eliminated by words."

Genis grappled with his thoughts.

_He's right…humans will never change. I've seen the hate and discrimination everywhere…it's common even in people my age. I'll never be free! _

He remembered his earlier rage.

_Humans have caused me to suffer my whole life! _

Mithos extended a hand to Genis, expecting him to take it.

_Mithos can end it all...the hate...the discrimination...I want a world without discrimination. Where everyone is equal. And it can be real...with theAge of Lifeless beings._

Genis frowned.

_That doesn't mean Mithos is right in everything he does, though. I could never kill as easily as he does. Even if it's to end discrimination…killing without so much as a thought isn't right._

Rage briefly flared up in him again.

_**Discrimination against half-elves** isn't right!_

Genis still could not bring himself to ever think to kill as easily as Mithos.

An idea came to Genis though.

_Maybe…I can change Mithos. Maybe…well…we're friends…he'd listen to me…of course he would…we listen to each other…I can change him! Everybody will become a lifeless being…but nobody will die. I can change him! I know I can!_

Genis looked Mithos in the eye, and grabbed his extended hand.

"I'll join you, Mithos."


	2. Clash at Altessa's

Lloyd had never fought as skillfully as he did now in his entire life. He remembered the training from Kratos and skillfully dodged, thrust, and cut as he wove through the battle.

His twin blades flashed faster than the eye could see, parrying sword blows from angels and spilling their blood upon the ground. Furthermore, his exsphere, containing the life of his mother, shone more brightly than ever, filling him with energy.

But with a growing sense of dread, he became aware that it would not be enough. Not nearly enough.

There were so many angels that it seemed Pronyma had brought the wrath of the entire angelic city of Welgaia upon them. For every angel he cut down, another took its place.

Pronyma herself was also fighting in the battle. Regal, Colette, and Presea were currently trying to hold her off amid a furious storm of angels. They would be overwhelmed soon without help.

Gritting his teeth, Lloyd began slashing his way towards them.

--

Colette moaned as she was thrown backwards by a blast of dark mana from Pronyma.

"HAHAHA! Is the Chosen of Sylvarant this weak!" Pronyma sneered. She raised a hand, intending to finish Colette off, when Regal landed a flying kick to her chest. Grunting, she hurled the blast of energy at Regal instead.

Regal hissed as Pronyma struck a glancing blow upon his body with the blast. His side felt like it was on fire, but he pushed the pain away.

Utilizing the ancient art his old sensei taught him, he became a blur of speed with his Mirage technique and appeared behind Pronyma before she could react. He struck her stomach with a powerful sidekick, slamming her forward into the ground.

"How DARE you…!" She growled.

Presea rushed the pained Desian Grand Cardinal, preparing to cut her to pieces. Pronyma saw her coming, and hurled a sword made of darkness mana at the child-like woman.

Presea dodged the attack with surprising agility, but gasped as an angel tackled her from behind.

Using her incredible strength, she plucked the angel from her back and slammed it into the ground. More angels dropped from the sky, however.

With a grim look on her young face, she fought on with Regal and Colette.

--

Sheena, Zelos, and Raine stood together, fighting off angel after angel. Raine was mostly supporting Sheena and Zelos with support spells, throwing up Barriers and firing off quick healing spells. Sheena and Zelos kept her between them, protecting her as best they could.

Zelos cursed as he parried another sword slash from an angel.

_I hate fighting I want my hunnies I hate fighting I want my hunnies_ he chanted in his mind.

Keeping the angel's sword locked with his own, he bashed its head with the shield on his other arm.

He winced when he saw that the angel was female.

_Too bad…she really was a cutey!_ he sighed, before being tackled by another angel.

Sheena bit back the pain as an angel's sword slashed a gash into her right leg. Growling in anger, she tossed a seal scroll at the offending angel, and the Pyre Seal exploded in it's face.

Disintegrating, the angel turned to ash. With a ninja's grace, Sheena dodged the thrusts of 2 more angels and crushed their throats with two quick chops of her hand.

_This isn't going to work_ she realized. _There's too many of them. We're going to need help!_

"Zelos! Raine! We need to get with the others! The only way we'll survive this is if I summon! We'll need the others to protect me!

Zelos and Raine only nodded, they had no time to speak.

Sheena frantically searched through the crowd of angels, searching for their friends. She finally found Regal, Presea, and Lloyd, fighting off angels and that Desian, Pronyma.

She quickly tossed a column of Pyre Seals in a path leading to them. The Pyre Seals blew up, blowing away angels like ragdolls, and revealing a clear path to her friends.

"Come on!" She screamed to Raine and Zelos.

The trio desperately ran towards their friends, dodging swords and arrows along the way.

When, they finally reached them, Lloyd glanced at them while fighting off an angel and screamed a sentence.

"We're going to die here if we don't think of something!"

"Get everybody to protect me while I summon!" Sheena screamed back.

Lloyd informed Regal and Presea, and they along with Zelos and Raine formed a protective ring around Sheena.

In the center of the ring, Sheena began a summoning ritual. Summoning took a huge amount of her mana, it would take her time to gather enough. Closing her eyes, she sank herself into the summoning state-of-mind.

_We need someone who can use area-of-effect attacks…ok ok…then Volt it is…._

Her friends, for their part, were on the brink of collapse. It took an incredible amount of strain and energy to fight off this many angels.

"Sheena…we could really use that summon about now!" Lloyd screamed. He slashed at an angel who came to close. Sheena did not answer him. Cursing, he kicked at another angel. The angel dodged, however, and cut his left arm.

Hissing in pain, Lloyd dropped the sword in his left hand. Before he could react, three more angels rushed him and impaledhim upon their swords. The world became very dark.

Pink ancient magic symbols of summoning appeared around Sheena, and the air suddenly grew heavy. Sheena had gathered enough energy. Soon, she roared

**"HAMMER OF GODLY THUNDER, I SUMMON THEE! COME, VOLT!"**

In a flash of light, the Summon Spirit of Lightning appeared.

"Save me and my friends!" Sheena screamed to Volt.

Immediately, the Summon Spirit cast huge bolts of lightning in a circle around the group of heros. Angels were instantly electrocuted and their bodies were charred beyond recognition. Volt did not let up until every last angel was dead. Seeing its job was done, Volt disappeared.

Letting out a moan of exhaustion, Sheena sank to the ground in a heap.

_There…we're safe_ she thought.

Then she heard the crying.

Sheena turned around, and ice crawled down her spine.

Colette was kneeling at the side of Lloyd, who was unconscious on the ground and bleeding profusely. Raine was attempting to heal him. Zelos and Regal also sported serious wounds, but the only person that mattered to Sheena right now was Lloyd.

She tried to rush to his side, but collapsed to the ground. Exhaustion from fighting and summoning overcame her, and like Lloyd, she fell unconscious.

_No! Lloyd..._

--

Presea stood alone as she watched Altessa and Tabatha helping to carry her friends back into the house.

Lloyd was seriously injured. Sheena exhausted. Raine exhausted from fighting and attempting to heal Lloyd. Zelos, Colette, and Regal injured.

And Genis…missing.

She knew she was the only one who had noticed that Genis was missing. He had not been in the fight against the angels. Where had he gone? Had Yggdrasil done something to him?

By the time the fight was over, Yggdrasil, Pronyma, and Genis had been gone. So were Kratos and Yuan, although Kratos had probably been taken by Yggdrasil.

"Probability of victory…30" she said, to no one in particular. Then she entered the house with the others.


	3. Author's Note

To my dear readers:

Hello everyone. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to add chapter 3, but please be a little more patient. I was on vacation in China for a month and a half, so I could not work on this fanfic too much. Rest assured, this WILL be finished.

Expect chapter 3 to be uploaded sometime this week.

Oh, and chapters 1 and 2 have been _COMPLETELY_ revamped, and improved. I also must say that I have changed the story quite a bit from what I originally posted.

So, read chapters 1 and 2 again, because they aren't the same as they were, although the very beginning of chapter 1 is kinda the same. I think they're very much improved from what they were.

Remember, read and review, and have a great day.

(oh, and Inune54 is a noob )


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